Trump confirms new U.S. strike on Iran's Qeshm Island, calling it 'minor,' as Tehran reports two missile impacts
NASA satellite view of Qeshm Island — NASAPresident Donald Trump confirmed Friday that U.S. forces carried out a limited strike against Iranian air defenses on Qeshm Island, hours before Iranian state media reported that two missiles struck the strategically located island in the Strait of Hormuz.
"We do minor strikes," Trump told reporters in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Friday evening. "They knocked out — they built a little bit of an anti-aircraft device, and we knocked it out in about 15 minutes, maybe five."
Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency said on Saturday that initial reports indicated two missiles had struck Qeshm Island, adding that there was no official information on possible damage. The state news agency IRNA had earlier reported that local witnesses said two projectiles had struck the Suza area of the island after the sound of an aircraft was heard overhead. State television said two explosions were heard late Friday and that there were no casualties.
Iran's state broadcaster IRIB also reported an Iranian army statement saying the country's air defense forces intercepted and destroyed an American MQ-9 drone over Qeshm Island. U.S. Central Command, which oversees U.S. military operations in the Middle East, said the situation was "relatively calm" and declined further comment on the explosion reports.
Qeshm, Iran's largest island, sits at the mouth of the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway through which about a fifth of the world's oil and natural gas supplies pass. The United States has previously targeted the island in earlier rounds of the fighting, including strikes on Nov. 2 that U.S. officials described as defensive actions against threats to U.S. military assets and commercial shipping.
Friday's strikes were the first since Trump's Republican Party lost control of Congress in Tuesday's midterm elections. Trump has blamed the election results on the Iran war, and on Thursday he said the United States may have to "destroy" the rest of Iran, adding that people would "know soon enough" if he acts.
At the same time, Trump said Friday that his administration was talking with representatives from Tehran and that progress was being made. "We're dealing with them now. They want to make a deal," he said. "We've made a lot of progress with Iran." On Saturday, Qatar dismissed reports claiming the negotiations between the United States and Iran had failed, saying mediation efforts were ongoing and that both sides continue to work toward an agreement.
U.S. Central Command also announced late Friday that the United States was offering a reward of up to $20 million, and possible relocation, for information about Iran's nuclear program, including its facilities, equipment and personnel.
No official damage assessment or casualty figures have been released for the latest strikes, and the precise relationship between the reported missile impacts and the U.S. operation has not been independently established. This is a developing story.
Sources: Al Jazeera, "Trump confirms new US strikes on Iran's Qeshm Island" (Nov. 7, 2026); Reuters, "Two missiles strike Iran's Qeshm Island, Tasnim news agency says" (Nov. 7, 2026).
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